João Almeida will make his Tour de France debut in 2024, Emirates confirmed this Monday, with the Portuguese cyclist co-leading the team alongside Tadej Pogacar, who will attempt to do the Giro double.
The UAE Emirates will compete with the super team in the next round, this was announced this Monday at a press conference in La Nucia, a city of the Valencian Community (Spain); In addition to Almeida, who will complete his task and make his debut in the French race, will also be present: Slovenian Tadej Pogačar and Briton Adam Yates, who finished second and third respectively in this year’s race, as well as Spaniard Juan Ayuso, who finished third in the 2022 Vuelta.
The four leaders are joined by Belgian Tim Wellens, German Niels Politt, nationalized Russian Frenchman Pavel Sivakov and Spaniard Marc Soler, the latest two former top-10 candidates on major tours.
After becoming the first Portuguese to finish on the podium at the Tour of Italy and finishing third this year, the cyclist from A dos Francos (Caldas da Rainha) was looking for new targets on his calendar.
“The calendar hasn’t been discussed yet, but I would like to do the Tour de France because I’ve done the Giro a lot and it’s starting to get a little monotonous,” Almeida, 25, said in a published interview. in the newsletter of the Portuguese Cycling Federation, October.
Successive press conferences by Emirates staff and UAE cyclists this Monday in La Nucia also helped clear up doubts about Tadej Pogacar’s participation in the Tour after it was unexpectedly announced on Sunday that he would take part in the Tour of Italy.
“I have always dreamed of competing in the Giro, it is one of my favorite races near Slovenia. Now I’m older, I think I can link two Grand Tours together, I’m ready for a new challenge,” said the two-time Tour de France champion (2020 and 2021).
Relegated to the “powder” position in the last two editions of “Grande Boucle” by Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), the 25-year-old Slovenian will attempt to “double” something no one has achieved since Italian Marco Pantani in 1998.
“The UAE will unite with a strong team [na Volta a França]. The most important thing is that one of us wins the Tour and I hope to be in the discussion for first place after the Giro. […] It was never planned that I would give up the Tour, I know how important this race is for me and my team. But one day I hope to do it, because not everything revolves around the Tour,” he admitted.
“Pogi,” who will have Portuguese Rui Oliveira as his “squire” at the Tour of Italy, also admitted he hopes to add the remaining two major Tours to his resume – he was third at the 2019 Vuelta. end of career.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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